Health and Social Care Unit 4- Nature vs Nurture Debate

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Nature is our DNA/genes. It is all about the biological factors that affect development. Nurture is how we are brought up. It is all about the socioeconomic and environmental factors which affect development. Historically, some philosophers and theorists have argued that we are born to be the way we are. Other theorists have argued that it is the way we are brought up and influenced by our surroundings that makes us the way we are. Biological programming- what is it? Biological programming is genes provide the instructions for structuring amino acids which in turn influence the proteins within our body cells. In this way genes program the basis of our biology. Our body shape and size, as well as our behaviour are caused by the interaction of our biology with broader environmental factors. A human being is the result of the interaction of genes and the environmental influences they are exposed to. The maturation theory- what is it? Some aspects of development, such as the ability to speak a first language, are the thought to be due to an in built genetic process. Children ‘naturally’ become interested in the sounds and signs that they see around them and the ability to speak comes together. Although development may be guided by genes, genes can’t operate without an environment. A child who is born deaf will not start to speak a language. Instead the child might learn to sign using a sign language, such as British sign language, if the people in the child’s environment use this system. The environment always interacts with a person’s genetic inheritance – including during maturational process. The effects of experiences versus heredity Heredity: Scientists have known for years that traits such as eye color and hair color are determined by specific genes encoded in each human cell. The Nature Theory takes things a step further to say that traits such as
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